A lot of woman who above all from Veroli, but from other important cities of Ciociaria like Alatri, Ceprano, Isola del Liri, Pastena, Sora too, had raised two generations of children, somebody the third too. The mercy is an out-and-out “craft” that since the end of the 800s had reached all the territories of Italy.
Copious and loaded of antibodies, precious and wanted like golden for the pioneers of the West, the raw material of mercies of Ciociaria – the milk – was exported everywhere.
Loreta Cerelli, 84 years old from Veroli, has worked Agnelli’s family in Rome, when the young Clara, married with the prince Fustenberg, gave birth to Ira.
Vincenza Stirpe made famous a lot of mercies because she worked in the royal family of Savoia and for the doctor of the court.
In 1958-59 the famous actress Gina Lollobrigida had to call a mercy from Veroli because she had a premature baby. She called Celeste Carinci.
The research for the best wet-nurse has always been very careful. At the end of 18th century noble families’ wet-nurses were subjected to medical examinations, in which there was always the unborn child’s mother.
How much did a wet-nurse earn? About 400 liros per month. Was it little or much? “Very much: - Loreta answers- it was at least double of the salary of other people who worked in the service of well-to-do people. We had special treatments, too. We received also a lot of presents: gold brooches and coralls.”
Mercies staied away from home for a year. Until 1930 there was an agreement with the noble families, and then there were real contracts.
The work of the mercy made an other work, the “mannerina”: a pollster of mercies who controlled all the places where were people who need a mercy. The mercy had to give to the “mannerina” an half of her salary.
All women with their stories, their sacrifices, their sufferings, their happiness.
